North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 74. Mines and Quarries § 74-24.1. Short title and legislative purpose

a. By encouraging operators and miners in their effort to reduce the number of occupational safety and health hazards in mines and to stimulate and assist operators and miners to institute new programs and to perfect existing programs for providing safe and healthful working conditions through technical assistance and consultation;

b. By recognizing that operators and miners have separate but interdependent responsibilities and rights with respect to achieving safe and healthful working conditions;

c. By authorizing the Commissioner to develop occupational safety and health standards applicable to mines giving consideration to the needs of operators and miners and to adopt standards promulgated from time to time by the federal government;

d. By providing occupational health criteria which will assure insofar as practicable that no miner will suffer diminished health, functional capacity, or life expectancy as a result of his work experience in a mine;

e. By providing education and training programs to increase the number and competence of personnel engaged in the field of occupational safety and health;

f. By providing an effective enforcement program which shall include a prohibition against giving advance notice of a mine inspection;

g. By providing for appropriate reporting procedures with respect to occupational safety and health which will help achieve the objectives of this Article and accurately describe the nature of the occupational safety and health problems in mines;

h. By providing for research and technical assistance in the field of occupational safety and health in mines and by developing innovative methods, techniques, and approaches for dealing with occupational safety and health problems in mines; and

i. By authorizing the Commissioner to enter into agreements and contracts with public and private agencies, including agencies of the United States government, organizations, and individuals in order to carry out the ends and purposes of this Article.